INTERVIEW: David Dean Bottrell is back with double (solo) shot
Photo: David Dean Bottrell will soon premiere two solo shows at Pangea in New York City. Photo courtesy of Stephen Mosher / Provided by JT PR with permission.
David Dean Bottrell, although sidelined because of the actors’ and writers’ strikes, is still staying busy this fall season. The talented actor and storyteller has not one but two solo shows premiering in the coming weeks. First up is Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This, followed by David Dean Bottrell: The Death of Me Yet. Both theatrical projects can be enjoyed at Pangea in New York City, with performances kicking off Monday, Sept. 18 and running through Monday, Dec. 18.
Bottrell has many roles to his name. He’ll be featured in the new reboot of Frasier, and he was previously seen in everything from Modern Family to Law & Order: SVU to NCIS. Last year he premiered his maiden voyage in solo-show-land with David Dean Bottrell Makes Love: A One-Man Show, which was nominated for Best Spoken Word Show at the 2022 Broadway World Awards and won Best Solo Performance at the Los Angeles Stage Scene Awards, according to press notes.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Bottrell about his two new shows, which run in repertory on Monday nights. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What inspired these two new solo shows?
Good question! A couple of friends have hinted that mounting two shows in 12 weeks sounds slightly insane, and they’re probably right. But three things convinced me. The first one was the SAG-AFTRA / WGA strike. Clearly I wasn’t going to be busy with TV work this fall, so I knew I’d have the time. The second was that Pangea was gracious enough to offer me 12 Monday nights. That’s a lot of shows and a lot of seats to fill, so my hope is that if the people like the first show, they’ll come back for the second. And the third reason was that both of these shows have been tapping me on the shoulder and whispering, “Me, next!” for over a year. Sometimes, you just need to listen to whatever is calling your name, no matter how crazy it sounds.
During the writing stage, how do you know a line is funny?
Usually I laugh out loud, or sometimes I just sense that whatever it is that I just typed is simply true. And that usually means the audience will laugh because they’ll recognize that same truth in their own lives. My shows are pretty funny, but most of my humor is about me saying things that I wouldn’t ordinarily say in life. Man, I wish I knew how to write jokes! I really admire my friends who can do stand-up, but that’s not exactly what I do.
As the writer and star, do you honor the script, or do you have license to improvise?
I definitely like having the option to adjust things in the moment and improvise a little if that’s what I’m feeling. I’m much more likely to improvise when I’m doing a show in a cabaret setting like Pangea as opposed to a theatre setting like Dixon Place. In a club, the audience is just so close to you, it feels like more of a conversation than a show sometimes. I love the freedom it gives me.
Are you generally an open person who likes sharing with other people? How much of the “real” David are we getting?
I used to think I was an open person, until I started doing storytelling shows. What I discovered is that it’s one thing to confide something personal to a close friend, but it’s quite another to stand in front of strangers and share what happened and what you genuinely felt about it. The first time I ever let it fly, I thought the audience would hate me, but it turned out their response was exactly the opposite. They laughed really loudly. I honestly believe that the recipe for success in writing this kind of a show is to allow yourself to maybe tell a little bit more truth than you intended to tell. So, yeah, I think anybody who comes to Pangea is going to see both the public and personal sides of me. Hopefully, they’ll enjoy both!
Are you nervous or excited (or both) about this residency of shows?
Wow. It honestly depends on what hour of the day you ask me! My last show, David Dean Bottrell Makes Love: A One-Man Show, was such a success on both coasts that I now feel a little pressure to not disappoint any of the people who are coming to see me again. I’m definitely doing some new things. My second Pangea show, David Dean Bottrell: The Death of Me Yet, is about a subject that can be a little scary for some people, plus I’m telling the stories in a different way. They’re sort of woven together and not so episodic. I’m really proud of the material in both shows, so I secretly think it’s going to be a great, really fun experience for everybody. I also believe that if you’re going to be a good artist, you’ve got to stretch out occasionally and take some risks. Sometimes, there’s nothing to do but embrace those waves of terror!
Is acting on stage similar to acting on TV?
Oh no, stage and camera work are, for me, so, so different. When you work on stage it’s very electric because there are real live people out there in the dark, and the experience in that room is truly shared. Maggie Smith calls it “the invisible thread” that connects you all in that never-to-be-repeated present moment. When you’re working on camera, there is a director and a crew, but no audience, and the dynamic is all about you and the other actor. Your performance travels no further than a couple of feet, and it’s all about honoring this intimacy, this intensely private moment. I love camerawork and stage equally. I don’t think I could ever choose between them. They’re both so much fun.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This and David Dean Bottrell: The Death of Me Yet will play in repertory at Pangea in New York City. Performances begin Monday, Sept. 18 and continue through Monday, Dec. 18. Click here for more information and tickets.
